Seymour k



(No Model.) v Y s. K. SEBLYE.

CHANGE SPEED GBARING.A

41\Io.594,567. Patented Nov. 30,1897.

THE Naam: PErERs Duma. wAsmNa-ron D c SEYMOUR K. SEELYE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO POOLE & BROWN, OF PLACE.

A i CHANGE-SPEED GEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming part ofv Letters Patent No. 594,567, dated November 30, 1897.

Application filed May l, 1895. Serial No. 547.789. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern,.-

Beit known that I, SEYMOUR K. SEELYE, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Change-Speed Gearing; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked [o thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in change-speed gearing for use on bicycles or other velocipedes, or in any other connection x5 to which it may be found adapted.

The obj ect of the invention isto provide an improved construction in devices of the characterreferred to; and it consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and particularly 2o pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a side elevation of a change-speed gearing constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken on line 2 2 2 5 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation taken on line 3 3 ofFig. 2; Fig. 4 is a sectional detail of a construction somewhat modied from that previously shown.

In said drawings, A designates one of the bars of the framework of a bicycle or other velocipede or machine to which my improvements are in this instance applied, and B is a short transverse shaft mounted in the frame A -in the usual manner and. constituting the axle of the driving-wheel C. The hub C of the latter comprises a cylindric portion c, surrounding the shaft B and bearing thereon through the medium of interposed antifriction-balls D, so that the wheel rotates freely about said shaft. An integral annular flange c' is provided on said cylindric portion c, near each end thereof, and to the outer edges of said flanges the spokes c2 of the wheel may be attached, said spokes converging from the flanges c to the rim of the wheel (not herein illustrated) in the usual manner.

E designates a plurality of small planetgears arranged concentrically about the axle B and j ournaled upon pins or bolts e between 5o the outer face of one of the end iianges c' of the Wheel-hub and the inner face of a removable annular ring c3. The latter is fastened rigidly to the flange c', so as to rotate therewith,by means of laterally-proj ecting studs c4, formed integral with the flange c and located 5 5 between the gears F., said ring being secured to the outer ends of the studs -by screws c5. Surrounding the planet-gears E and intermeshing therewith is an internally-toothed gear-ring F, which is provided on its outer 6o periphery with sprocket-teeth f and consti-A tutes the driving-sprocket of the Wheel. Said ring is supported by smooth inwardly-facing annular bearing-surfaces f', provided on each side of its gear-teeth f2 and engaging corre- 65 sponding smooth annular bearing-surfaces e on the ends of the gears E, the latter thus serving in themselves to form a simple and effective antifriction-roller bearing for the sprocket-ring F.

G designates an inner annular gear or toothed sleeve surrounding the shaft B within the annular ring c5 and circular series of planet-gears E and provided at its inner end with external gear-teeth g, which intermesh with the teeth e2 of said gears E. Said sleeve is arranged to have a limited movement endwise of the shaft B and-is adapted to be alternately interlocked with the shaft B or wheel C, according to the position on the shaft oc- 8o cupied by the said Sleeve. To this end the sleeve Gis herein shown as provided between its ends with clutch-teeth g', which are adapted to engage corresponding teethc6 on the adjacent edge of the iange c3 When the sleeve 85 is pushed in, and is further provided at its outer end with one or more transverse grooves or recesses g2, either of which is adapted to engage a transverse pin b of the shaft B when the sleeve is pulled out. An annular groove 9o g3' in the louter end of the sleeve enables the latter to be engaged and reciprocated, as desired, by any suitable form of shipping-gear, (not herein i-llustrated,) which in the case of a bicycle or other velocipedev will ordinarily be carried up to within convenient reach of the rider. When the sleeve is pushed in so as to be rigidly locked to the hub of the wheel, it will obviously lock the planet-gears E and sprocket-ring F against relative rota- 1o: tion, and the wheel C will be driven at whatever rate of rotation is imparted by the sprocket-chain, (not showin) which engages the sprocket-ring in the same manner as if said ring were rigidly secured to the hub. When, however, the sleeve is pulled out se as to be held against rotation by its engagement with the shaft l), the rotative velocity of the wheel C will obviously be as much less proportionately than that of the sprocketring as the number of teeth on the sleeve G is less than the number of teeth of said ring.

In order that the teeth .of the sleeve G and gears E may always be in mesh with each other throughout their entire length, the teeth of said sleeve are herein shown as made longer than the teeth e2 of the gears by an amount equal to the longitudinal movement of the sleeve, and to prevent interference be tween said teeth and the annular bearingsnrfaces e of the gears E said surfaces e are made of a diameter only equal to the diameter of the gears E at the bottom of their gear-teeth c2. 'lhe bearing-surface f of the sprocket-ring F is consequently required to be made 0f a diameter not greater, or slightly less, than the diameter of the toothed surface of said ring at the points of its teeth f2, in 0rder that it may rest upon said bearing-surfaces d, and for convenience in the construetien and assembling of the parts said surfacesf' are provided by separate annular eollars F', which are rigidly secured to the ring F by rivetsfg. The width of the sprocket-ring F when its collars F' are in place is just equal to the distance between the flanges c and c3, and the latter are made of sufficient external diameter to overlap the collars F' and form a close joint therewith, said collars being herein shown as further provided with annular ribs or flanges f4, which inclose the adjacent edges of the flanges c' and c3, so as to more perfectly insure aga-inst the admission of dust or dirt at this point. To prevent the entrance of dust or dirt between the inner edge of the flange e3 and the sleeve G, the latter is herein shown as provided just outside of the clutch-teeth g with an annular fiange (f1, which is inclosed by an annular rib c7 on said ring c3, said fiange g4 thus serving both to exclude dust and to strengthen and support said adjacent clutchteeth g'.

Obviously when the bea rin g-surfaces f and e are made of the diameter above stated the contact between them will lack a trifle of being a perfect rolling contact, as the latter can only exist when the points of contact lie in the pitch-circles of the intermeshin g gear-surfaces. Thc slight slipping which will occur between the surfaces, however, will not add perceptibly to the friction of the gearing. Moreover, if deemed at all objectionable, it may be obviated by the modified construction shown in Fig. 4, in which the bearing-surfaces e of the gears E are provided by separate col` lars E, that are free to rotate independently of said gears E, so as to compensate for the slight difference in the rotative speeds of the contacting surfaces.

For the purpose of enabling the ball-bearings between the hub C and shaft B to be placed as far apart as possible, the inner gear or toothed sleeve G is herein shown as formed at its inner end with an enlarged annular recess g5, into which the end eSi of the cylindric portion e of the hub C is extended, the annular seat c for the balls D of the bearing at this end of the shaft being formed at the cxtremity of said extension e8 within the recess g5 and in position to hold said balls against a suitable cone l1' on the shaft B. As shown in this instance, the sleeve G is designed to be supported by the intermeshing of its inner end with the gears E, and as said sleeve is subjected only to torsional strains or a slight endwise pressure such support will ord inarily be amply sufficient.

I claim as my invention-- l. A change-speed gear comprising a fixed shaft, an internally-toothed gear-ring, a central gear-pinion mounted to turn and slide longitudinally on said shaft, a rotative annular part provided with intermediate gearwheels intermeshing with said internal gearteeth and central gear-pinion and means for locking said central gear-pinion to the shaft.

2. A change-speed gear comprising a fixed shaft, an internally-toothed gear-ring, a ccntral gear-pinion mounted to turn and slide longitudinally on said shaft, a rotative annular part provided with intermediate gear-wheels interlneshing with said internal gear-teeth and central gear-pinion and means for locking said central gear-pinion to the shaft or te the rotative annular part as desired.

3. A change-speed gear comprising a fixed shaft, an internally-toothed gear-ring, a central gear-pinion mounted to turn and slide longitudinally on said shaft, a rotative annular part provided with intermediate gear-wheels intermeshing with said internal gear-teeth and central gear-pinion and means for locking said central gear-pinion to the shaft comprisin g interloekin g clutch projections on said central gear-pinion and shaft.

4. A change-speed gear comprising a fixed shaft, an internally-toothed gear-ring, a central gear-pinion mounted to turn and slide longitudinally on said shaft, a rotative annular part provided with intermediate gear-wheels intermeshing with said internal gear-teeth and central gear-pinion and means vfor engaging said central gear-pinion with the shaft and with said rotative annular part comprising clutch members on said central pinion and on the shaft and rotative annular' part.

5. A change-speed gear comprising a .fixed shaft, an internally-toothed gear-ring, a central gear-pinion mounted to turn and slide longitudinally on said shaft, a rotative annular part provided with intermediate gear-wheels intermeshing with said internal gear-teeth and central gearpinion,and oppositely-faciug clutch projections on said central gear and corresponding clutch projections on the shaft and rotative annular part whereby said cen- IOO IIO

IZO

tral gear may be locked to either the shaft or rotative part as desired.

G. A change-speed gear comprising a fixed shaft, an internally-toothed gear-ring, a central gear-pinion mounted to slide and turn longitudinally on said shaft, a rotative annular part mounted on the shaft and provided with annularly-arranged bearing-studs, a detachable annular flange rigidly secured to the said bearing-studs, a plurality of intermediate gears journaled upon said studs and intermeshing with the toothed gear-ring and with the central gear pinion, oppositelyfacing clutch projections on the said central gearpinion, clutch projections on the rotative part adapted to interlock with one set of clutch projections onthe said pinion and clutch proj ections on the said shaft adapted to interlock with the other set of clutch projections on said central pinion.V

7. A change-speed gearing, comprising a xed shaft, a rotative part journaled on said shaft, planet-gears arranged concentrically about the shaft on said rotative part, an internally-toothed gear-ring surrounding said planet-gears and intermeshing therewith, smooth annularbearing-surfaces on said gears and gear-ring aifording a roller-bearing for the latter; an inner sleeve surrounding the intermeshing therewith,smooth annular bear-4 ing-surfaces on said gears and gear-ring affordin g a roller-bearin g for the latter; an inner sleeve surrounding the shaft and provided with exterior gear-teeth intermeshing with the planet-gears, said sleeve being movable endwise of the shaft; interlocking recesses and projections on said hub and sleeve, other interlocking recesses and projections on said shaft and sleeve, and means for moving the sleeve endwise of the shaft to alternately interlock with the axle or shaft, substantially as described.

9. In a change-speed gearing for vehiclewheels, the combination with the axle or shaft and the wheel-hub j ournaled thereon of an integral annular flange on said hub; a detachable annular flange rigidly secured to the integral flange, a plurality of planet-gears journaled between said flanges concentric-A ally about the shaft; an interiorly-toothed sprocket-ring surrounding said gears and intermeshing therewith; an inner sleeve provided With exterior teeth intermeshing with said gears; clutch-teeth on said sleeve adapted to interlock with corresponding teeth rigid Withsaid hub; interlocking recesses and projections on the sleeve and shaft; and means for moving the sleeve endwise on the shaft to alternately interlockA the same with the hub or shaft, said sleeve' being provided at its inner end with anannular recess of larger diameter than the shaft; a tubular extension on the wheel-hub projecting into the said recess; hearing-balls seated in the end of said tubular extension, and a cone on the shaft Within the recess adapted to engage said balls, substantially as described.'

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 27th day of April, A. D. 1895.

SEYMOUR K. SEELYE.

Witnesses:

C. CLARENCE POOLE, ALEX. H. SEELYE. 

